The Hidden Essence
by Dracomancer
Summary: Arkainius is at it again, failing to recapture Vincent and now has set his eyes on a new subject, Nero. Fortuna is attacked, catching the attention of the Devil May Cry shop as Dante ventures to go save Nero and Kyrie while being guided by Vincent and a mysterious ghost like figure that has attached itself to Nero.
1. Negotiation

**The previous story to this fanfic is, **"Touch of Fate"

**Negotiation**

As the day broke, the sun shined down about Fortuna as the citizens among the city became lively, playing out their everyday life with shops and items to buy and food to cook. The sun shined just as beautifully not too far from Fortuna, upon the building of Devil May Cry. Dante woke to his usual phone calls from clients asking for tedious tasks with demons as Nero awoke to his lover Kyrie smiling upon him from the doorway.

"Good morning," Kyrie spoke sweetly.

"Kyrie," Nero said her name gently.

They both smiled at each other warmly as he got out of bed and stuck on his usual trench coat and red jacket. The weather was perfect to walk out to the water front where Nero and Kyrie were planning to go visit. When he had finished dressing, Nero and Kyrie set out to the city, but for as much as he loved Kyrie, a day didn't go by that his thoughts didn't wander to ponderings of the devil hunter. Their last encounter was etched into him like an engraving in a tombstone, memories of their two short ended battles and then their last meeting when the devil hunter gave him his prized possession…

…_Yamato_.

It was a strange sword indeed, with an ominous aura that he could neither put his finger on nor focus upon it. The aura simply filled him with the desire to grow stronger, to gain _more power_. It sits idly merged within his being with an unknown purpose except to that which he yields to protect others, to protect his Kyrie.

"Nero, is something bothering you?"

Nero's thoughts suddenly were cut off by the sweet and tender voice of his lover. He looked at her and smiled.

"Nah, just taking in the sites."

"It's so beautiful outside."

"Yeah..._beautiful._"

They both locked gaze as Kyrie blushed slightly, holding onto the necklace Nero had given her not too long ago. They held hands as they walked down the busy streets of Fortuna. It was bustling with life as its patrons filled the streets with business and good times, but behind the veil of this leisurely stroll, the citizens of Fortuna had no idea what was to come. For deep in an underground lab laid a familiar acquaintance of Vincent's, a scientist by the name of Arkainius. Not being able to recapture her and knowing how she was now under the protection of a son of Sparda, Arkainius set his sights on a _new_ subject for study; Nero and the lad's precious devil bringer. He had already located the whereabouts of Nero and had been watching him since the day his devil bringer had appeared. He gazed upon his monitor screen that spied upon the two love birds.

"Ah my precious subject, how I long to study that arm of yours just like Agnus filed to do, but soon enough you will be mine."

He chuckled maniacally as the sounds of screeches and laughter from creatures in the darkness echoed in his underground chamber.

"Go and fetch this Nero for me! Make sure as not to kill him, I still need him….alive….ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Feel free to kill the girl. She is of no use to me."

The demons laughed continuously as their cries and screeches echoed while they scurried out of the chamber to seek after the devil bringer boy.

"Vincent, it is a pity you cannot be here to witness my new discovery of control over demonic power, but you will be mine again one day. Until then this boy…this…_Nero_…will have to do in replacement of you. I hope you won't be jealous."

-_Meanwhile_-

Vincent summoned Dante to a local bar, a meeting that was rather important. Dante was eating his usual pizza while Vincent sipped on her usual 7n7.

"So, what's this all about?" Dante asked in a playful manner.

"Amongst the chaos that went on while we fought against his _holiness_ back in Fortuna, I came across a demon that was a recognizable creation of Arkainius. Before I killed it, it said some…_unsettling things._ It kept talking about how Arkainius has a new pet, how I might be jealous and all that other crud it was spewing."

"Hmmm, so he's got a new pet. So what?"

"And what would you say if I told you his new pet was Nero?"

Dante was in mid bite on a pizza slice, but found it hard to swallow from the thought of Nero being targeted by Vincent's arch enemy, not that he was too heavily worried.

"Nero's arm has attracted a lot of interest and Arkainius has his sights set on it, to study it, or worse, cut it off and control its power like what Agnus tried to do. The two used to work together. Hell, most of his ideas of demonic energy control came from Agnus. Besides, why else would the demon inform me personally that Arkainius has a new pet? Who else would it be?"

Again, Dante wasn't too terribly concerned. Taking down demon lords was pretty much his specialty, so handling one measly scientist didn't seem like that big of a worry.

"Heh, that kid probably has no idea what's coming."

"So…are you going to go check it out?" Vincent asked with sincerity.

Dante then gazed into her eyes. They were the same color as his brother's, but with a much more softer feminine touch. It was strangely soothing.

"You gave him Yamato. That's quite a gift to give to someone you _barely know._ It's not so much that you're trying to replace your brother, but it's like you get to set things different than before, to start a new. I haven't bothered asking you cuz I figured you'd tell me when the time is right, but there's something about that guy that gets your interest. I mean you…you _gave him Yamato,_" she stated the sword again, emphasizing on the significance of that kind of gift.

"He's of the Sparda bloodline…isn't he?" she further asked in a rhetorical fashion, not really expecting Dante to answer at this point.

Dante looked at her once more, letting her words sink in. He smiled at her, not wanting to admit it, but she hit the nail right on the head.

"Sure like digging into people's heads don'cha?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, but I think there's more to that guy than you're willing to admit, even to yourself. It's like you're trying to deny something."

The devil hunter couldn't escape Vincent's perception. She was _highly intuitive_.

Dante merely chuckled as he replied, "All in due time."

After a couple of more bites of ice cream, he looked at her once more. She was rather beautiful and with all the chaos that had gone on with their battles in Fortuna, she barely had any time to come and visit him mainly due to the fact that she needed to keep an eye on her father. This made him even more grateful to the fact that despite watching over her father, she still kept an eye on things in her area and did her best to make sure the Devil May Cry shop was well informed. This not only kept Dante ahead on things, it brought more business and money to him as well. The devil hunter sat back with his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"Arkainius has most likely moved his lab due to the fact that I hang around with you now, and that could be anywhere. He hasn't even attempted to capture me for obvious reasons. It would be a fool's errand, but now that he has his sights set on Nero, and his Holiness is dead and all, this is Arkainius' chance to make a move now that everything is quiet and calm again. And as you said, Nero probably has no idea what's coming."

"A rescue mission huh? You sure the kid can't handle the crack pot on his own?"

Vincent took another gulp of her drink before replying, "Don't underestimate Arkainius. I've known him for a long time. He's a demon after all and he's got plenty of minions to dish out. You could probably handle him, but Nero? I-I…I don't know."

Dante finished the last bite of his pizza as he got up and smacked his hand on the table.

"Sounds like a party! Let's get going."

She became quiet suddenly, sighing as she replied, "I want to go with you, but I can't. You already know why."

Dante cocked an eyebrow at her as he stated, "You went to him to gain power to begin with. Avoiding him isn't going to fix anything."

"Not one to be cautious about the consequences huh?"

"We'll I'm here. Isn't that why you came to me babe?"

Vincent blushed as she darted her gaze away from Dante's, still remembering the day they first met.

"You can't be too careful, not with Arkainius. He had his reason for helping me and it wasn't out of some random act of benevolence. He has something planned and I don't want him to get even the slightest chance of carrying those plans out, especially if you're involved. I don't want anything to happen. You're life is not worth the risk."

"Don't you mean _your_ life?" Dante ensured, assuming she really meant her own life.

"No, I mean _yours_," Vincent insisted with quick correction.

Of course she was afraid of getting caught again, even under Dante's protection, but she was too precarious with the chance of being used in any way to hurt Dante. She feared _more_ for his protection then her own, regardless of the fact that he's a son of Sparda. This struck a chord with Dante, seeing just how much his life was precious to her.

The two threw a silent gaze at each other as Dante smiled and finally said, "Well if you're insistent on not coming, then do me a favor."

Vincent blushed a little as she wasn't sure what he was going to ask her to do.

"What's that?"

Dante smirked as he requested, "Get the bed sheets cleaned while I'm gone."

Vincent looked at him quizzically, "Bed sheets? Whatr'yah gonna expect me to do next…put on a French maid outfit?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea," Dante quipped with a smirk.

Vincent laughed, not really sure if she felted insulted or just amused with his one liners.

Dante rolled his eyes, "Joking aside, unless you want to sleep on dirty sheets, I suggest you wash them. Haven't really had a chance to do dry cleaning for _obvious reasons._"

Vincent blushed. Just what was he suggesting? And it was then she realized the meaning behind the request. Dante was giving her permission to sleep next to him…or sleep _with him_…either way the granted permission was significant. Not only was it a large form of trust he was placing with her, to allow a woman to get that close to him, but it seemed like the two were becoming closer _to each other_. They had only known each other for such a brief period of time, but it didn't take long for Dante to be able to perceive what kind of woman she was, even if she wasn't as perceptive to who _he_ was.

"You…want me to sleep next to you?" She asked rather innocently, confirming the words she heard him utter.

He chuckled lightly before replying, "You gave me a kiss last time. Not often I get an offer like that with no strings attached, so the least I could do is pull you off that cold leather couch and keep you warm."

Vincent then smiled, not really caring what the intentions were behind the words, but they were cute nonetheless and _endearing_. She never wanted to intrude before, so she always volunteered to sleep on the couch without question, too scared to ask if she could sleep next to him out of fear of pushing him away. She'd rather wait for him to suggest such things first. That way she at least knew he was in the slight bit interested.

"Guess I'll have to clean those sheets then," she stated with a suave smile.

Dante lightly smiled back, holding out his hand, "Come on."

Vincent took his hand as she stood up from the barstool and then accompanied him out the bar with her arm wrapped in his.

"I'll get some more information on Arkainius' location for you. I've got some good leads."

"Thanks babe."


	2. Onslaught

**Onslaught**

It wasn't long until Kyrie and Nero had finally reached the water side. They sat underneath a tree, Nero cuddling Kyrie under his arm then two pretty flowers caught his eye off in the distance.

"Look…just two flowers, the only ones in the area. Just like us," Kyrie mentioned sweetly.

They gazed at each other and then slowly they started to pull into each other for a kiss, but before their lips could even touch, screaming suddenly sounded in the distance. Their kiss was interrupted _just like before._

"Kh! You've got to be kidding," Nero stated with distain.

"Demons? But I thought they were cleared out?" Kyrie spoke with worry.

"Apparently not."

Pissed at the interruption with his time with Kyrie, he quickly swung out his sword, dug it into the ground, and ripped its powerful engine. People running and screaming could be seen in the distance as the demons that were attacking finally could be seen in plain sight, but they were unlike the demons they had fought before for these demons were black oozing masses of darkness that could bend to any shape or size as they devoured their victims. One of the creatures spotted Nero and Kyrie and began to go after the two as more followed.

"Stay close to me okay?" Nero instructed.

"Nero, your arm!"

"Huh?" He gazed at his devil bringer as it began to glow with the nearing approaching steps of the enemy, but instead of glowing its usual white or blue-ish color, it glowed a blackish red, the brilliant color beginning to dim.

"What the hell? Damn it there's no time for this now!"

Ignoring his devil bringer, he caught sight of a demon flying towards him, but with great speed he easily sliced the oozing mass with his Red Queen as it split in 2 like a knife through butter. It splattered to the ground as it sizzled into nothing but dust. The second demon came from the side to try to attack Kyrie, but it too was sliced down with an upward swing from Nero's sword. Not having time to react to the third demon, it managed to latch onto Nero's leg and quickly manipulated its mass to cover onto Nero's chest.

"Nero!" Kyrie screamed.

While being preoccupied this gave ample time for another demon to latch onto Kyrie's leg. She tried to run away but it brought her down to the ground and began to cover her entire body. She screamed in fear as Nero entered a rage. He took his devil bringer, grabbed the black mass covering him and ripped it from his body, squeezing it in his bringer until it exploded into dust. However, because he came in contact with the demon, already he felt his energy strangely drained. With no time to wonder why he felt tired, he quickly spun around and ripped the demon that was attacking Kyrie, off her body and giving it the same clenching fate. Having a moment of a pause in the battle, as more enemies approached, the color of his devil bringer began to dim as he felt the effects of the drain on his body.

"What the hell…did it do to me? I shouldn't be t…t-this tired," he panted heavily.

"Nero, what's wrong?"

"I think those demons suck your energy."

"What are we going to do?"

"Run…just run, I'll stay behind you."

"But—"

"—RUN!"

Without a moment's notice, their feet carried them off in the distance, citizens screaming and running past them in fear in multiple directions as they got attacked by demons. Nero and Kyrie ran into a part of the city streets and ended up in the main town square, but there was nothing but black oozing masses of demons everywhere they went. They were forced to stop in the middle of the town square only for Nero to fend off more demons while trying to protect Kyrie. However, this didn't last long.

"Kyrie, get down!"

As she ducked to the ground, Nero swung his sword in a raging circular motion, slicing a group of demons that jumped at him simultaneously. Because his energy was sucked earlier, the weight of his sword began to take a toll on him. Feeling the drain he dropped his sword and quickly brought out his Blue Rose revolver and shot at as many demons possible as they kept lunging endlessly at him and endlessly getting obliterated. Seeing how they couldn't lay a hand on him, the entire group of demons in the area began to gather together into one big mass of black darkness. It grew to a great height and had no real shape or form as it constantly shifted and moved about, standing at least 10 feet tall as it towered over Kyrie and Nero, blocking out the sun's rays. The mass sent out a long dark spike towards Kyrie, but Nero quickly shot it off with his gun before it touched the ground. Three more dark spikes shot out towards them, but he quickly shot them away as well.

However, the demons were no push over. Seeing that becoming one of many forms wasn't sufficient enough, it morphed into a liquid black oily substance that washed over Kyrie and Nero like a tidal wave.

"Nero!"

"Kyrie! KYRIE!"

After separating the two, the black mass began to split itself, separating into one being on one end of the town square while separating into another half being on the other side. Both Kyrie and Nero were now feats apart as they were pushed against the wall, black beings began sucking upon both their energies. Unfortunately, Kyrie did not possess as much stamina as Nero as she quickly became pale skinned, her energy drained and her vision fading. Her voice could only be heard as a whisper as her body became limp. Despite his own energy loss, the anger that erupted inside Nero. This situation triggered memories of that one fateful day when demons attacked and ultimately awoke what is now his devil bringer. Emotions roared as he summoned forth his devil trigger and the Yamato. The demon that clenched onto him was quickly sliced into dust. Now set free, enraged and possessed with emotion, he dashed towards the other side of the square to save Kyrie, but he had only made it half way across when his devil trigger suddenly _disappeared._

He fell to the ground from the energy drop, but he wasn't willing to give up just yet. He had to save her. He _had to save_ Kyrie. The anger welled up in him from frustration as his devil bringer glowed once more, now forming it into a larger devil bringer and lunged it forward to grab the oozing mass off of Kyrie, but that attempt failed as the attack dissipated suddenly half way across and the color in his devil bringer faded to darkness. Again, this did not stop him. No matter how bleak the situation may seem, he refused to give in.

He couldn't give up, not on her, not ever, no matter what the cost of his _own life._

The silver haired half breed managed to will his body to stand as Nero dragged himself towards Kyrie, but not before a demon suddenly grabbed him from behind as more assembled into the area. They were numerous and kept coming. The tentacle that had latched to his leg quickly pulled him back, taking him further away from Kyrie as he was latched against a wall, tentacles wrapping themselves all over his body as they began to suck more energy. He screamed out to his lover, but there was no reply back as he had to watch her life be sucked away, hearing the laughter from the nearby demons as they found amusement from the whole situation. He cried her name in helplessness, angered that it didn't matter what he tried, it _failed._ But just when all hope was lost, the demon that sucked Kyrie's life was suddenly split in two as it fell to the ground into halves _destroyed._ Kyrie's limp body began to fall, but gently into a man's arms.

Nero, still being able to see, saw Kyrie in the arms of a man with white silky hair, a red coat, and carrying a large sword and suitcase. Did his eyes deceive him? Was this man the same red coat devil hunter from before? The same man that gave him Yamato?

_Could it really be him after all this time?_

"D-Dante?" he muttered the man's name, exhausted. The devil hunter turned around, smiling while holding Kyrie gently in his arms.

"Hey, kid, losing your touch already? You need to learn how to use that sword of yours. I didn't give it to you just to be _thrown around._"

Nero was too exhausted to reply, his energy, what little of it was left, was being sucked to its last remnants as his body too began to become limp with weight.

"Sleeping on the job huh? Guess I'll have to pick up where you _left off._"

Demons caught sight of their new prey as they began to lunge at Dante. He gently laid Kyrie down as he took out his ladies and shot them continuously in multiple different directions with style. Bullets flew in the air and ooze obliterated one after another as the numbers of the demons began to dissipate. Smiling and having a blast he brought out Lucifer and lunged multiple red glowing spikes into the demons that came near him and when he was done spiking, he threw a beautiful rose towards a demon with a spike as it exploded and caused a chain reaction, all the demons with spikes going down like dominoes lined up. It was beautiful and he was _satisfied._

Finally bringing a pause in the moment of battle, he took his Rebellion sword and lunged it at the demon that held Nero against the wall as it went straight through the chest of the demon that was still touching the ground, but to his misfortune, instead of going right through the creature, it absorbed the sword as it got swallowed in the black mass of ooze.

Dante could only smirk.

"Hey, you better give me my sword back or I'm gonna be pissed!"

"K….K-K-Kyrie," the boy spoke out in an exasperated voice, barely being able to stay awake.

"Heh, hang in there kid. I'm not done yet."

Smiling still, he brought out a rather large suitcase that he had carried with him; his beautiful Pandora shape shifting toy that he morphed into a gigantic laser ray that he fired off in the distance, completely decimating anything in its way. In doing so it took a large chunk out of the demons that were still in the town square, but this was _far from over._ The demons became annoyed and decided to try forming a tidal wave once more. They gathered and oozed together as the wall of blackness formed above Dante. Seeing where this was leading, Dante quickly picked up Kyrie and ran in the opposite direction just as the wave of ooze crashed down, washing up towards Dante, but he made it just in time to the other side and jumped up to the rooftop as the ooze crashed against the wall. Just when he thought it was safe however, the ooze began to pile up the side of the building. In doing so it left the ground open to jump upon again as he quickly hike jumped over the ooze and onto the ground once more. However, the demon clenching Nero had more mobility then it presented as it lunged multiple tentacles, clenching onto Dante and yanking him to the ground, Kyrie falling from his arms.

This temporary pin to the ground gave the tidal wave of ooze a chance to wash over him and Kyrie. Without a moment's notice Dante switched on his devil trigger and fired off from the tentacle grip on him, but only to be latched onto and pulled back down once more just in time to be washed over by the tidal ooze as him and Kyrie were now _engulfed._ Seconds later both Kyrie and Dante were pinned against the wall like Nero, whom was on the brink of passing out, but his will to save Kyrie still kept him conscious. As much as he tried with each tug and each yank, Dante could not free himself from the demonic black mass that held him captive.

"Well this took a bit longer than I originally hoped for. I guess that's to be expected from a _son of Sparda_. And what's this? The boy and the girl are captured as well? I expected more from you, Dante, but to give you the benefit of the doubt, you're not used to fighting my creatures like Vincent is. _Shame she isn't here._"

"Heh, so _you're_ the crack pot that's been bugging her, but you stopped the second you found out she was with me. _What's wrong?_ Afraid to _face me?_"

Ignoring Dante's mockery, Arkainius walked over to Nero and glanced up at him, the boy's head hanging low, bobbing slightly up and down as he was barely able to stay awake from the extreme exhaustion he was suffering. His devil bringer glowed a dark black now, not having its previous luminescence it once had.

"Still awake after all that. I'm _impressed._ But I'm afraid the girl is _quite lacking_ in stamina. She'll die anytime now."

The very words, the very thought of Kyrie's death quickly echoed into his mind as he let out one last surge of anger, his devil bringer ripping free and grabbing onto Arkainius body as it began to squeeze tightly, but Arkainius is a demon and not lightly overcome. His fingers turned into sharp like spikes and pierced through the devil bringer, causing Nero great pain as he quickly let go of his attack and fell into a deep sleep from the surge of energy he used. Arkainius began to babble but he was suddenly cut short by a flying bullet through the stomach. Despite this surprise attack, he could not bleed and he could not feel pain as he merely formed his body back to what it was, turning around to find Dante standing proudly upon the ground. Ebony and Ivory were gripped nicely in his hands, resting on both of his shoulders.

"_You!_ How did you get free?!"

Dante said nothing. He merely looked at both his guns, rested them back on his shoulder and winked at Arkainius in silence.

"I wouldn't be so arrogant if I were you."

"Heh, it's not my fault you let your guard down."

Arkainius merely smiled as Dante was suddenly stabbed through the chest from behind by his own Rebellion. Apparently the lifeless ooze that surrounded them, laying flat upon the ground, was _still active._ After stabbing him it engulfed his body, taking the sword out from his back and lunge it back into his chest through the front in such a force that it shot Dante's body out of the ooze and into the wall behind him, hanging him there like one of his own devil arms. The ooze then quickly squirmed over to Dante and covered most of his body and began to suck his energy.

"Heh, let's see you get out of _that one_, but enough of this toying around. The boy is _mine_. As for the girl, he seems pretty attached to this woman. That might come in handy. Until then _you_ can just sit there and rot till all your life is drained away!"

He waited a moment to hear a snappy reply, but none came. Dante was _silent_.

His sword was lodged _through his heart._

Arkainius left with the boy and girl, leaving Dante to die _alone._

Only after a short period of time had pass, Arkainius long since gone with Kyrie and Nero before another being had entered the town square, screaming out the devil hunter's name, "Dante!"


	3. Voice in the Darkness

**Voice in the Darkness**

Vincent arrived on the scene, watching in horror as the demon that was still attached to Dante was sucking his life away. Anger boiled in her blood, kicking herself for not going with him from the beginning, but at least she was here _now_ to take care of the nasty little bastard. Quickly withdrawing her sword without a moment's hesitation, Vincent swung it violently as it sliced the demon in half…

…but it was going to take _more_ than just a few sword slices.

The sucker easily pulled itself back together as its hideous laugh echoed through the empty town square.

"Heh, sword not good enough, huh?"

She pulled out her one and only gun, a specially designed revolver that could fire high loaded rounds at such velocity it would pierce bullet proof glass _like butter._ The recoil alone a normal human would not be able to handle without being thrown back quite a few feet while landing on their ass, but Vincent isn't a _normal human being,_ the demon blood inside her providing abnormal strength so that the recoil felt like nothing more than a normal vibration from a cell phone. It is because of the gun's physical attributes that she purposely named it _Recoil_.

"Hope you're hungry, because this baby packs a wallop."

She fired off the first round, but instead of exploding on impact, it pierced right through the demon, causing absolutely no damage as the creature simply pulled itself back together once more. What was merely a hole became yet another obstacle. For any normal demon, even high ranking ones, a gun such as the one Vincent owns is perfect for causing significant damage, however for a demon that has the body density of _jelly_, this obviously had no effect. It didn't hurt to at least try though. Before Vincent had time to react, the ooze launched its body at her as it latched onto her arm that held her gun.

"What the hell?!"

It began to suck her energy. She immediately felt the affect on her body as she fell to one knee.

"Kh! Since when could his demons s…s…suck energy? N-No wonder they…d-didn't win. Wait a min, that's it! You're pure energy…a-aren't you? That's why you can't be destroyed, only _utilized_."

Using her special ability, she grasped the ooze with her other arm and began to morph the energy inside it, transferring the power from it straight into the ground. This caused the demon to lose its own force as its body mass began to shrink smaller and smaller until there was absolutely nothing left, but dust. Waiting a moment in time to make sure the demon was truly gone she wiped her arm off, feeling relieved. There was no response, the creature's mass so deformed within the chemical makeup of the ground that it had no way to pull itself back to its original state of being.

Finally being freed from fighting, she could now focus her attention on Dante as she ran over to the devil hunter who was still impaled into the wall above her, but too high for her to reach. This was no problem however as she placed her hands upon the wall and began to manipulate the energy within it. Making a nice energetic connection she directed the masses within the wall to vibrate the sword out until Dante was free, falling safely into her arms. She held him gently, on the brink of tears. The sword was not only pierced through him, it was pierced _through his heart._ She feared for his life.

"Come on…you've been stabbed before, this is nothing."

She knew mostly about the capabilities Dante had considering his bloodlines with Sparda, but doubt and fear still managed its way into her mind, afraid that if she didn't intervene he may never wake up. Not wanting to take a chance, she took the sword out from his chest and began to transfer her own body's life source into the devil hunter as the wound upon his chest began to slowly heal. This was no easy task however as the energy transfer could easily take her own life. This didn't matter to her. She would do anything for him _no matter what cost._

"Dante please just…_wake up._"

She panted heavily as the life transfer was quickly taking its toll on her, but already the complexion in Dante's face was returning to its normal color. Taking more precautions she placed her fingers behind one of his ears to try to feel a pulse on his neck. She felt the warmth from his skin as a sudden bump was felt under her fingertip, but that wasn't the only thing she felt. Dante's hand suddenly reached up and placed itself atop hers as their eyes met. He was _alive and well_, nothing less expected from a son of Sparda.

"D-Dante?!" She spoke his name in a light gasp.

"Heh, couldn't resist coming to the party could yah?" He replied in his usual nonchalant banter.

She smiled warmly and brightly as she pulled him in close, embracing him and feeling his warmth mingling with hers.

"Oh come on babe, you didn't think I'd die that easily did yah?"

She cocked an eyebrow along with a funny expression as she said, "You? Nah. What is this…your second time getting stabbed through the chest now?"

Dante slowly sat up as he cracked a few muscles in his neck before replying, "What? You're keeping a tally? It's a third time actually. At least I got my sword back."

Vincent helped him up as they stood beside each other, Dante stretching his legs a bit.

"You know, I appreciate you getting me your buddy's locale and all, but it would have been nice to know he has demons that _munch your energy._"

Feeling rather light headed, she staggered a little as she replied, "I…I-I didn't know they were…capable of d-doing…t-th…" and not being able to finish her sentence she nearly toppled over. Dante caught her before she fell as he nonchalantly asked, "Wo, you okay or did those suckers get to you too?"

She leaned into him as he had his arms supporting her upper body, replying in exhaustion, "Only a little but…y-you took everything e-else I h-h-had."

Within seconds she nearly fell unconscious, Dante quick to sweep her up in his arms as he held her gently.

"Sounds like you had a little party of your own. I didn't know you could heal people."

"I-I…nngh…I didn't either, b-but it was well worth a…a-a try," she replied back in a light headed haze, a small smile creasing across her face as she nudged her head into Dante's chest, his heart beating a rhythm against her cheek.

"Heh, well glad to be of service Ms. Scientist. Just give it a little wait next time," he stated with a smile as he began to carry her away.

"I know, but your life isn't worth risking to _chance._"

"Neither is yours."

She gasped lightly at his sentimental retort. That was the first time he verbally acknowledged his true concern for her well being, even if it was for his own benefit. She gently clutched onto his shirt as she nuzzled deeper into his chest. He looked down at her briefly, finding it soothing that she cared about him so much. For some reason it reminded him of his mother.

_…"Dante"…_ a faint remembrance of her voice saying his name.

"That aside, what happened to the _not getting involved part_?"

She thought for a moment before responding, "Let's just say your party habits rubbed off on me. Besides, I didn't obtain these powers just to _sit around._ I had a bad hunch so I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

Dante chuckled a bit before frowning a little, "Too bad you didn't get here sooner."

Vincent gasped a little, "You mean—"

"—yep, they were taken," Dante interrupted as he knew what she was going to ask. She sighed, feeling that this was all her fault.

"I'm sorry Dante, I didn't mean for you guys to get entangled with my enemies."

He looked down at her once more before jumping up on the rooftops to quicken his travel, "Eh, don't sweat it. Was probably bound to happen eventually. Besides, now I've got something to keep me preoccupied."

Vincent smiled warmly as she was being briskly carried across the town of Fortuna.

_-Underground Lab-_

Kyrie was held captive inside a cage towards the back of the lab, incapacitated, with a specific gas inducing mask on that kept her in a coma like state. Nero however _wasn't so lucky_. He had been stripped of his clothes and laid flat upon his back across a cold steel table with nothing but an oozing energy sucker covering him from his abs to his knees. It wasn't long before he regained consciousness to a most _painful experience._ His devil bringer was pricked entirely of needles while his wrists and ankles were armed down by steel cuffs. He gasped out moans and gritted his teeth from the aches and throbbing soreness in his muscles, not to mention the drastic drain on his stamina.

"Ah, so you're awake…" a voice echoed in the darkness of the lab "…don't mind my little friend there, he won't take _all_ your energy, just enough to keep you _tame and conscious._"

Nero looked over at Kyrie as his emotions flustered in anger, "What did you do to her?!"

Arkainius casually looked over his shoulder in response, "Oh the girl? She's alive for now, incapacitated, but alive. She'll be a lot better off than _you'll_ be however. I wouldn't waste my time worrying about her. However, if you so much as _think_ about escaping then she'll be chocked to death by carbon monoxide through that convenient mask on her face."

Nero bellowed in rage, "YOU BASTARD!"

" Ah, so I was right to assume you cared about the girl; a nice little tip off Agnus gave me before the son Sparda took his life away some time ago."

"D-Dante?"

"Yes, that's right. He killed Agnus. What a shame. It's a pity really…the things I learned from that human. Oh well. No matter. You might as well get comfy because you'll be here a very, _very_ long time."

The mad crock then disappeared into the darkness of his lab, leaving Nero alone to the sounds of emptiness and the sting of the cold table he laid upon. He was shivering, the demon on top of him the only warmth he had. He tried to move, but his strength had left him ages ago. His surroundings were barely visible and Kyrie was clearly out of reach. He was helpless and he hated feeling helpless more than anything, but what he hated more is that once again he had failed to protect Kyrie and there was nothing he could do. Anger welled up inside as he screamed out in frustration, his cries echoing within the laboratory. Although the last remnants of his body had exasperated, the determination of his will to get out caused his devil bringer to glow again, ever so slightly of its natural blue. It flickered in and out like a flame in the darkness, sometimes large, sometimes small. And there within the essence of his devil bringer could be heard a voice as he subconsciously thought to himself, _"If only I had more power."_

_-Devil May Cry Shop-_

It took quite some time before the devil hunter finally made it back to his shop. By the time they had returned, Vincent was feeling a lot better, but still quite a bit drained.

"Man it's been forever since I've had pizza," she stated as she ate a few slices with Dante while they sat at his desk. He kicked back and relaxed in his chair in his usual position with his legs crossed and up on the edge, munching on his pizza slice. Vincent sat in a smaller chair next to him, feeling at ease now that she was around him once more, seeing he was alive and well.

"Now remember what I said. It's in an underground sewage tunnel that leads to piping that connects to an abandoned warehouse just outside the city and underneath that warehouse is his laboratory. It's a very similar set up to what Agnus had. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he helped Arkainius set up his lab layouts."

Dante chuckled as he finished eating his slice, "What is it with these guys and underground labs? You'd think they were raised by those brown fuzzy hole diggers."

"Moles?"

"Yeah, those things."

Vincent chuckled as she remarked rhetorically, "Not much of a school goer were we?"

"Nah, just a bit zonked from that ooze bag taking my energy like some vampire."

There was one last piece of pizza in the box and naturally Dante was gonna grab for it, but he quickly found Vincent's revolver pointed at him as she jeered a grin.

"You got the last piece last time remember? I _also_ bought the pizza, I get the last slice."

Dante cocked an eyebrow as he naturally retorted, "Heh, yeah? Well I had to do your dirty work today since you refused to come along."

He began to reach out to the pizza slice, but Vincent was quick to grab it from him as she bantered, "And I had to heal your ass from getting stabbed again."

A little playfully annoyed Dante responded as he grabbed the other end of the slice, "I would have healed on my own, but _somebody_ got impatient."

"Kh, well _I_ got the leads to the laboratory."

"And _I_ had to carry your ass all the way back here. You have any idea how far Fortuna is from the shop?"

"Pfft, don't exaggerate. You used the car the rest of the way—"

"—and cars require _gas money._"

"Well I…" she began, but couldn't think of anything to finish her sentence until one thought came to mind, "…washed the sheets."

Dante chuckled audibly as he looked her straight in the eyes, "Babe that was _optional_, so your argument…" swiping the pizza slice from her now greasy fingers "…is invalid," then taking a good bite of it. She was about to speak, but had no more words to back up why she should get the last piece seeing as it was already firmly planted inside Dante's mouth.

And in the end, not all of us are satisfied.

"_Fine._ Take it then. I don't need it _anyway._"

"Don't worry. I'll let you know how _good it is._"

Tilting the remainder of the slice vertical into the air he scarfed it down like water, bite by bite, savoring its taste. After he finished his meal, he began to pack up his sword and guns as he was ready to leave.

"Well, time to save the kid's ass…_again._ Take care of the shop for me while I'm gone."

He began to take steps towards the door, but he felt a tugging on his jacket from behind as he slowly turned to find Vincent gently pulling at the fabric of his jacket.

"Please be careful," she said in a gentle wispy tone.

"Sure you don't want to come this time?"

Vincent sighed a little as she replied, "Not when I've overused my powers in ways I didn't even think I could. I need to rest up some otherwise I'd just be in the way. Who knows, maybe I'll show up at the last second aga—"

Her words were cut short as she found herself being kissed by Dante. Internally overjoyed by his move, she quickly grabbed for an embrace before he'd have a chance to let go. Then their lips separated for a catch of air.

"Damn it, you better come back."

He parted from her as he replied out the door, "I always do."


	4. Just the Beginning

**Just the Beginning**

By the time Dante had made it out of town, the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, but there was still some clear daylight. It wasn't long until he came upon the abandoned warehouse. It looked like it hadn't been touched _for years._ It was all boarded up and didn't seem to show any signs of an entry.

"Heh, no entrance huh?"

He casually walked up to what appeared to be a boarded up doorway as he pulled out his Rebellion and slashed a big X into the hardwood that covered the door. Seconds later the wood caved in, allowing access to the inside. He strolled inside with his sword resting on his shoulder, ready to use just in case an unexpected attack occurs. He gazed around as there were cobwebs everywhere, silence surrounding him, the stench of stale air and the only light beaming was from the entrance. However, the silence gave him a lead to where the _real entrance_ to the lab could be found. With each step he took it sounded quite odd. He took a couple of more steps that sounded deeper than the other steps he took previously. Curious, he kneeled down and put his ear to the floor then knocked a couple of times with one hand on one board and knocked a couple of more times on another.

"Knock, knock, doc," he sarcastically remarked.

One board sounded more hollow than the other. Satisfied with his findings, he stood above the hollow sounding boards, swung out his guns and held them at the ground.

"Jackpot."

The silence was quickly broken with an array of gunshots as he fired Ebony and Ivory in a circular motion and once all was done and quiet again the circular board broke beneath him as he fell into the darkness. It was only a mere few seconds before he hit rock bottom inside a rather large tunnel that was barely lit with lanterns that hung in mid air at the top, circling around down a path.

"Hmm, well _this_ looks familiar. You'd think he'd be more original," Dante said to himself, finding the moment reeking a hint of déjà vu of some of the tunnel paths he took to get to Agnus' chamber. Nevertheless he had no choice but to keep wandering down the path as he put his guns away and rested Rebellion across his shoulders. The tunnel was huge, long and _empty_ as his footsteps echoed upon the metal ground. It was quiet, almost _too_ quiet as he started curving along with the path until the tunnel was straight again only to find that the straight path was filled with entrances to other tunnels that interconnected with the walling.

There was no indication _whatsoever_ to show which side tunnel would be best to take since the main middle pathway itself seemed to go on for miles in one straight path. Dante couldn't help but get the feeling that either this was an illusion of some kind, or Arkainius had an _insane amount of free time_ to build such a place.

_Sigh_

"If Vincent were here, she could probably feel some type of path of energy that leads to the main room," the devil hunter thought out loud.

He began to walk by each side entrance. The atmosphere alone was bad enough to deal with considering the lack of color, incredible amounts of rust, stale air and most of all a _dank odor_, but at least the pathway itself was lit. There's nothing more annoying than wondering around in pitch dark. Annoyed, Dante was still in the midst of choosing which path to take since they all looked identical, until he stopped, swearing he felt a hint of a lingering essence. Before taking another step the devil hunter looked over his shoulder for a moment and it seemed just in time as he caught a glimpse of some apparition in the corner of his eye. He only saw it for a second without the chance to zero in on the details of the ghostly image, but it was seen long enough to bring his attention to one of the tunnel entrances he had passed a few feet back.

"Something's better than nothing," he openly admitted as he decided to follow where the apparition went.

Venturing down this side tunnel, he quickly realized how much smaller it was in comparison to the main pathway not to mention a lot darker. And of course the apparition was nowhere to be seen, but his gut feeling told him this was the right way to go. Despite the much smaller size of this tunnel, he could at least still stand comfortably. The passageway didn't last long however as he quickly came upon a thick chamber door. It bore no latch or handle to open it, simply an inscription engraved into the metal that was in the demonic tongue. Taking a moment to decipher the message, Dante placed his hand upon the door, surging a bit of his demonic power into it. Within seconds the entrance suddenly turned translucent, disappearing entirely as Dante's body was sucked into the room behind it with some strange force, the door reappearing behind him.

Upon gaining his footing back he quickly turned to see that the door had not only reappeared, but it was quickly merging together with the wall that connected to it, becoming the wall _itself_ as the chamber entrance was now simply a flat surface showing no crease or sign that it was a door to begin with.

"Talk about your _forced entry_," he remarked in sarcasm again while placing Rebellion on his back for the time being. With it still and quiet again, Dante took the moment to peer around him as he realized he was in a rather large chamber that was clearly visible all the way around, giving him an easy glimpse into the actual room the chamber was built in. He seemed to be in a giant laboratory that was all on the same level, but far and wide in size. There were test tubes, strange contraptions, bubbling chemicals and anything else you could imagine that would exist in such a location, but upon all the sights that Dante was taking in, his eyes suddenly caught glimpse of a glowing image all the way on the other side of the room. Wanting to get a better look, the devil hunter walked up to the wall that was nearest without actually touching the glass like surface.

In the distance he spotted Nero laying mostly naked upon a steel table, unconscious under the gelatinous glob that laid on top of him, sucking the life out of him. And there, standing next to the boy was the apparition he saw earlier out of the corner of his eye. The figure itself wasn't quite detailed or formed, but it had enough definition for Dante to see that it was indeed some type of male figure. Looking upon the form for some reason brought about the strangest familiarity, something the devil hunter couldn't quite put his finger on. At the last second the figure looked up and stared Dante straight in the eyes with a piercing gaze…

…_a gaze from the past._

A name rattled around in Dante's head…a name he was almost brought to utter from his lips out of pure impulsive thought, but then the crimson hunter blinked and the figure…_gone_.

The moment itself lasted for only a matter of seconds, but sometimes the shortest moments feel like the longest. What was this figure? Why did it help lead him down the right path? But most importantly, why was it standing next to Nero so fervently? Before the crimson hunter had a chance to reflect upon this moment, this strange familiar _feeling_, a light suddenly turned on inside the chamber as all became clearly visible. Arkainius finally came into the room as he gazed upon the subject that was inside his testing chamber.

"You found me rather quick…_Dante_…Son…of _Sparda._"

The devil hunter stood silently, sighing lightly as he looked around the room some more in a casual nonchalant fashion, waiting for the doc to make his move.

"Impressive…yet _curious_ as to how you made it here with _such ease._"

"Eh, educated guess. The tunnels seemed a bit _unoriginal._ Maybe if you didn't copy so much of Anus' lab work, you would have actually succeeded at keeping me away."

"How dare you mock Agnus! He was a genius!"

"More like an _ingenious moron_ who surrendered his humanity…and _lost._"

Arkainius could only laugh in reply, "Ah yes…your precious _humanity_…the same humanity that Vincent gave up, yet you took her in. I can't help but wonder why a son of Sparda would care so much. Your father didn't give a damn for nearly 2,000 years, only to fall in love with a _human_ and look where that got him?!"

Dante was unfazed by the doc's attempt at refuting his casual approach to philosophy.

"She's your weakness, Dante, and will end up getting you killed in the end. Not that I have any complaints _about that._"

The crimson hunter shook his head and folded his arms as he replied, "Weakness huh? If she's such a _weakness_ then why did you purposely set her up with all those powers to try to kill me?"

Arkainius frowned at the rhetorical irrefutable question that the devil hunter laid before him.

"Your boss must have been _pretty confident_ in her abilities to take me down."

Arkainius curled a lip, not at all keen in knowing that Dante was aware of Valkin's existence, but no matter.

"What purpose we originally had for her, is _irrelevant._ Because she left prematurely, she will _never know_ what she truly is and _that_…will be her _undoing._ She will forever be a pawn, just like this boy."

Dante stayed silent, a bit taken back by the doc's words. What did he mean that Vincent will never know what she _truly is_? The thought didn't sit well with him as his eyes fell back upon the lifeless silver haired boy who carried his same bloodline. Placing his hands down by his sides, the devil hunter took in a deepened breath as he then yelled out, "Nero!"

Just like before, the piercing voice shot through the thick glass of the chamber and into Nero's mind as he suddenly woke up, letting the familiar voice sink in. Upon awakening, his devil bringer began to glow as his heart raced. Was it really him? Was it really Dante? He turned his head towards the direction of the voice and there in the distance stood the memorable man in red.

"Heh, still sleeping on the job huh?"

The boy tried to speak, but Dante was quick to interrupt, "Save your breath kid, this will be over soon."

"So says the guinea pig in the glass chamber," Arkainius interrupted as he crept around the steel table like a cockroach.

"Chamber? Heh, reminds me of a badly designed bathroom."

"Kh, mock me all you want, but that room you conveniently got pulled into is my main testing room. It's a wonder you even managed to get inside it, but I guess that's to be expected from a son of—"

"—yah, yah, _save it._ You're a pain in the ass you know that? We gonna dance or what?"

Not in the least bit amused by Dante's attitude, Arkainius flipped a switch as laser like lights appeared in the room, crisscrossing each other in consecutive alignment like a three dimensional grid. It was then the devil hunter noticed the walls were completely filled with consecutive holes in a similar fashion. Without hesitation or warning Dante swung out Ebony as quick as lightning at the glass in front of him, but to his dismay it did not break, only ricocheted the bullet back at himself. He quickly dodged as the bullet flew into one of the holes in the wall.

"Ahhh, nice trick you got there. These aren't any ordinary bullets."

Arkainius laughed as he replied, "Underestimating me will be your _demise._"

Dante chuckled in retort, "That's kinda harsh for someone you just met, don't you think?"

Ignoring Dante, Arkainius shuffled about as he went over to a panel and pulled a lever as he remarked in a sarcastic manner, "I hope the entertainment is efficient enough for you."

Dante quickly glanced around as dripping black ooze coming out of all the holes in the chamber caught his attention.

"You guys again?"

"They're quite lovely pets aren't they? They're hard to manage however considering they're _always hungry._"

Still nonchalant about the situation Dante replied calmly, "Yeah, I gathered that much from our previous lunch in."

Irritated that it seemed Dante couldn't be intimidated Arkainius retorted, "Well let's see you get out of this one!"

Without a moment's notice Dante began shooting at all the holes in the walls to keep the ooze from coming, but that only proved pointless as the ooze was never ending, making its way over to Dante. From the looks of it, his best shot was to break the glass. He quickly swung out his sword and lunge it at the chamber walling and _still_ it did not break. He had no choice but to keep attacking the ooze directly, finding it only futile as the chamber began to quickly fill up like a pitcher with too much water. With the devil hunter nearly knee deep in ooze, it began to suck his energy as Nero watched helplessly behind the scenes. Was there nothing he could do?

"D…D-D….DANTE!" The boy began to squirm and tug at the cuffs holding him down, his devil bringer glowing once more, but despite his efforts, despite his will to fight, the cuffs would not budge and his strength had withered away long ago.

"Ha, ha, ha, what will the mighty son of Sparda _do now?_" the scientist laughed in mockery.

The situation may have appeared dire, but Dante was anything but worried as he simply snapped his devil trigger, glowing a bright red in demon form. He let out a mighty roar as the ooze around him evaporated from his power and began to sizzle away like water droplets on too hot of a surface and once more he took up his sword and lunge it through the glass effortlessly as it broke to pieces, shattering upon the floor. From the shock of the wave, Arkainius fell to the floor as Dante flashed over to his location and loomed above him. It was like staring into the eyes of the devil himself.

"N-No! This can't be!" Arkainius fret as he tried to scoot away.

Seeing how it wasn't necessary any longer, the devil hunter let his devil trigger go.

"Well that was a nice little warm up, but I think it's time to wrap things up, _doc._"

_BANG_

With no given warning or hesitation, Dante shot a bullet into the mad doc's head. Then there was _silence._ His body fell back to the floor as he lay lifeless upon the ground. Not wanting to take a chance, Dante shot off a couple of more rounds. He waited a moment to see if Arkainius would get up again, but the scientist was silent. When he was sure all was clear, he went over to where Nero laid across the table. He stood above the lad as the boy gazed into his eyes, his devil bringer barely glowing.

"So tell me, what's it like being food to a giant leech?"

Nero lightly smiled at Dante's attempt to lighten the mood, but then the lad looked over upon Kyrie. Taking note of where Nero was looking, Dante looked over to see the gentle maiden locked up in silence.

"Ladies first."

He went over, took his sword and sliced the metal bars in half that held Kyrie captive. He then quickly removed the mask that was keeping her incapacitated as he gently picked her up and laid her down upon a nearby countertop.

"Now, to get that leech off you."

Dante reached out his hand to try to grab the ooze, but to his surprise touching it let out an energy shock that electrocuted both him and Nero as the boy let out a cry of agony. The crimson hunter tensed from sensation, only imagining what it did to Nero.

"Wo! Wasn't expecting that. Sorry kid."

He glanced around the room to see if he could use something to pry off the demon without hurting Nero further, but before he had a chance to proceed, he was suddenly thrown back against the wall by a gigantic oozing arm that was attached to a very much alive Arkainius.

"Nngh, bout time you got up. I knew it wouldn't be that easy to take you down."

Dante's voice had morphed again as he triggered his devil form. It gave him the strength to push back the enormous hand that held his body to the wall, grabbed it and swung it violently to the right as it slammed Arkainius into the wall. Before you knew it, he was being swung side to side, ceiling to floor, and with one final move, Dante pulled him in towards himself and threw a punch so hard it launched Arkainius into the back chamber that Dante had originally entered in. He then dashed over to the scientist and began to throw an onslaught of punches into his body, Arkainius becoming an instant punching bag until he was beaten back into his non demon form. Satisfied, Dante transformed back once more as he stood above the little cockroach that now lay limp upon the ground.

"You! I'll kill youarurarr—"

He quickly found himself with a gun in his mouth as the scientist squirmed, but he had one more trick up his sleeve. He began to laugh, muffled by the gun in his mouth, but loud and vocal as he lifted up one hand and merely snapped his fingers. Within seconds, screaming echoed within the laboratory. The demon that was sucking Nero dry of his life was not electrocuting him. The pain was _agonizing_ as it tore at his insides. This quickly got Dante's attention as he only looked at the boy for a mere second, giving Arkainius the one second shot he needed to get one last attack in as his arms turned into gigantic oozing blobs, launching them at Dante.

_BANG_

Dante's focus darted back to the scientist, only to find him completely splattered on the ground and all over the walls, painting the hardened surfaces with red. There was nothing left of him. Even though the explosion didn't come from Dante's gun, he wasn't surprised in the least.

"For a second I didn't think you'd ever show up. You took your time."

"Well the lab isn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away. Beside's that bastard's life was _mine to take._"

It only took a moment before Vincent's attention was taken by the ongoing screaming on the other side of the lab. Quickly she went over to Nero to get a closer look upon the situation. Despite the pain he was in, the silver haired lad looked up to see a familiar brown haired huntress standing by his side.

"Ahhh…nnngh…V-Vincent?"

"Shh, s-save your energy…" she stammered, nervous on what she needed to do "…gotta get this thing off you somehow."

Everything is made of energy, even electricity, so not being able to think of anything else she simply grabbed the demon with her leather gloves and got an instant shocking reaction. She cried out from holding the demon for only a matter of seconds before she let go with jolting recoil and nearly flew into the countertops behind her before Dante caught her from behind.

"Nngh…Dante?" she questioned out loud as she looked over her shoulder at him.

He nearly smiled as she regained her footing and approached the table once more. She couldn't stand watching someone suffer as she was now determined to get the thing off him. With Dante standing behind her to make sure she was able to stand firmly, she put out her hands once more and grabbed the demon. Electrical shocks flew out as both her and Nero let out yelps, but the longer she held on the more Vincent was able to feel the energy like pulses of the demon's mass as she began to make a connection. Within a minute's time she started to manipulate the demon's body so that its pure energy like substance was getting transferred and diluted into the table itself. It wasn't long before the creature's mass began to shrink, the electrical shocks dieing out and the pain subsiding rather quickly until it felt nothing more than simple tingling.

"Dante, I need your coat."

The devil hunter cocked an eyebrow in playful retort as he began to strip himself of his leather red garment, "Why not your coat?"

"Because I'm the one working here," she replied back playfully.

"Hey, I'm the one that got here _first_."

Coming around to the other side of the table, Dante draped his coat over Nero's nearly exposed body as Vincent got rid of the remainder of the demon, the creature no longer with any form or substance. The lad painted and trembled lightly, looking rather faint as Dante moved over a little to take a look at his arm. It wasn't until now that Dante got to see Nero's devil bringer up close; it's design strangely beautiful, but familiarly _demonic._ He could only wonder how the boy obtained such an arm to begin with.

"You get the needles out. I'll heal him," Vincent lightly commanded as she placed her hands upon Nero's abdomen.

"Heh, you sure that's a good idea?"

It was obvious that Vincent was a bit weathered, not just from removing the demon but from still needing to rest a bit from her previous ordeal. Energy manipulation was one thing, but healing through the same technique took an entirely different amount of stamina.

"According to you, that healing technique you tried out on me was the first time you ever did it and look at the shape it's put you in. It's been what…3-4 hours and you're still tired?"

Vincent continued to stare at Dante blankly knowing he was right. She then lowered her eyes and laid them back upon Nero as she replied, "I'm just going to heal him enough so that he can get himself and Kyrie home."

"_Vincent_…" he stated her name more sternly as she hesitated to look him in the eyes again "…heal him enough so that he can at least _stand on his feet._ He and Kyrie can then rest up at the shop for a while. We'll worry about getting them home _later._ Just make sure you can help me with these two back to the car. That's how you got here right?"

"Yeah…okay. That does sound like a sounder plan."

Finally being able to focus once more, Vincent began to concentrate on trying to heal Nero as Dante began to take the needles out one by one. Nero winced and moaned a little since the needles were rather large and deeply embedded in his arm, but as each one were removed the luminosity of his devil bringer began to glow more brilliantly as he felt his energy returning at a creeping slow speed.

"D-Dante," the lad muttered the devil hunter's name.

Dante caught the lad's gaze as he chuckled lightly, "Kid, I think it's about time you got a _new arm_."

Nero chuckled back between coughs as he retorted in playful banter, "And I-I think you need a s-shave _old man_."

"Hey, the beard _stays_."

The two continued to chuckle lightly as Dante was nearly done removing the needles.

"I think it's sexy," Vincent lightly commented as the two looked over at her, Dante cocking an eyebrow with a near smirk, "Is that right? Hmm, maybe I should grow it out longer—"

"—don't even think about it. Keep it trimmed or not at all."

"Oh you my personal barber now?"

"Damn straight."

The peaceful moment took a drastic halt as Vincent began to tunnel vision, immediately stopping her newly discovered healing technique. Gripping her hands upon the edge of the table she balanced herself, giving it a moment until her vision cleared again.

"You alright?" Dante asked, naturally concerned, but not necessarily worried. He trusted Vincent enough to know what she was doing.

"Yeah I'll…I'll be okay…after I have some pizza…" she chuckled with a faint smile as Dante bantered back "…solve everything with pizza huh? You're practically my doppelganger."

"K-Kyrie," Nero muttered his lover's name as he slowly sat up by himself and looked upon her on the countertop nearby. She was laying peacefully and unharmed. Although she was unharmed, Nero couldn't help but to look at her with feeling of guilt. Once again he had entered another situation where he was nothing more than a helpless young man without the power to protect her let alone himself. Once again someone had to intervene and save him. He was grateful no doubt, but he was ashamed. The feeling dug at him as the growing for more power took seed…_in his heart._

"Nero?"

Suddenly the boy's thoughts were interrupted by Vincent's voice as he looked over at her. He knew next to nothing about her and yet this is the second time she had come along with the devil hunter and got him out. She gave off an aura that was strong and intimidating yet inviting and warm. It wasn't like any woman he had ever met before, but it was nice.

"You okay?"

He paused for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I…I could ask you the same thing. You look _exhausted_. And how did you heal me? I mean…what are you?"

The question came out of nowhere, but Vincent wasn't surprised. They didn't exactly have a lot of interaction upon first meeting during the fiasco in Fortuna with Sanctus so this was the first time he personally saw her display any true form of power.

"I'm…" she hesitated "…I'm…going to take…a very long nap."

He cocked an eyebrow, seeing how she deliberately circled around his question, but it was to be expected. This exactly wasn't the time to have one of those kinds of chats.

"That…sounds like a sound plan," Nero agreed as he slowly brought his legs over the edge of the table. "I think…that crack pot actually _kept_ my clothes. Might be in that big bin over there."

Dante looked over to the nearest side of the laboratory as he went over to a large silver bin container, lifting up the lid to find the lad's clothes in there as well as Red Queen and Blue Rose.

"Heh, we'll I'll _be_. Guess the doc took a fancy to your _fashion choice._"

"Hey, what's that _supposed to mean?_ I'm not the one wearing a cowboy getup. All you're missing is the hat."

As Dante closed the lid with the lad's clothing, boots, and weapons in his arms as he merely cocked a silent eyebrow at Nero. Vincent chuckled to herself, finding the banter between the two delightfully amusing.

"Here, get yourself dressed while I attend to your _girlfriend_."

Nero blushed at the label drop. He couldn't necessarily deny the fact that Kyrie was pretty much his girlfriend. While Dante had his back turned while walking over to Kyrie, Vincent turned her back as well so Nero to get himself dressed. When he was finally back in his clothes he carefully put his feet upon the floor, still feeling rather oozy from the loss of so much stamina.

"Shall we make our way back?" Dante asked playfully with Kyrie in his arms.

"That would be great," Vincent answered as she got up beside Nero, taking his arm and placing it around her neck without really giving him a choice about it. It was obvious he was nearly exhausted as she was.

"Sure those weapons aren't going to weigh you down? Dante could easily carry them," she asked Nero noticing how rather large his sword and revolver were.

"Nah, it's fine as long as it doesn't weigh _you_ down."

"I'm good."

"What about the other sword?" Dante chimed in, catching Nero's attention as the boy looked over at him into those icy blue eyes. He knew exactly what Dante was referring to.

"It's still with me."

"Good."

"Other sword?" Vincent questioned in tired wondering.

"Yamato," Dante answered as they began to walk out of the lab.

"Oh…that's right. I nearly forgot you gave it to Nero," she stated in a near sad tone. It was strange to think about Yamato even though Vincent knew so little about Vergil other than what Dante told her about back in the day when the sons of Sparda fought and then ultimately separated.

Vincent led everyone out the easier path she found until they had made it to the outside. As they were approaching the car Dante noticed Vincent had an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

Vincent looked over at him, a bit surprised that he could read her so easily as she answered, "Well…I don't know about you, but that was _too easy,_ even for Arkainius. I've known the man for a while and nothing is ever what it seems when he's involved. There's always something much deeper going on behind the scenes. He's under Valkin's watch and wants you dead."

"Heh, I'm not surprised. When these guys are taken out only another rises."

"Valkin?" Nero questioned out loud.

"A demon lord that Arkainius works for. When we get back to the shop I'll explain the rest of the story to you about Valkin and how I came to possess demon powers. That aside…I don't think this is over."

"Yeah, well that may be, but a fight every now and then always makes life a bit more interesting, don't cha' think?"

The group chuckled as they made their way back to the Devil May Cry shop. A small hideous laugh echoed through the now empty, destroyed laboratory.


	5. Of Things to Come

**The next story that takes place after this is** Doppelganger

**Of Things to Come**

The sign glowed its luminescent reddish light in the darkness like a beacon for salvation. It was the first thing Vincent saw before Dante came to her and it has forever been a welcoming sight for sore eyes. It wasn't long before she saw that sign again as Dante pulled up in front of the shop after a whiles drive from the hidden laboratory.

"Shop sweet shop."

Vincent chuckled as she looked over at Dante from the passenger seat, "Don't you mean home sweet home?"

Dante looked over at her with a half smirk as he replied, "Same thing."

By the time the drive was over, Nero had regained enough strength to not only move on his own, but carry Kyrie in his arms. Vincent however wasn't in such great shape as Dante was quick to come to her side of the car and help her out.

"Man, where the hell do you guys get your stamina?" she asked in an exhausted chuckle, putting her arm in Dante's as he slowly lead the group to the front doors.

"I blame it on the pizza."

She and Nero chuckled further as the lad chimed in, "Only reason I have any strength is because you gave it a starter boost Vincent. That's one nifty ability of yours."

"Great for you, sucks for me. It nearly zaps everything I have."

Inside the shop, Vincent started to make her way over to the couch on the right side of the room past the desk in the middle and right next to the fridge and jukebox. Plopping herself down she let out a huge exasperated breath, "Ah, yeah. This may be an old leather couch, but it's comfy as hell."

Nero then came over and gently laid Kyrie at the other end.

"Now that's what I call one hell of a _sleeping beauty._ Just what did the doc knock her out with anyway?" Dante quipped in question as he grabbed his big chair from the desk and brought it over, placing it just in front of Vincent and then sat himself down after putting Rebellion back on the wall hooks.

"Could have been anything or a mix of things if she's been knocked out for this long. The drive was at most thirty minutes, but still…she should have woken by now. She looks completely unharmed so she'll probably be alright."

Nero sat down upon the small space empty that was just at Kyrie's abdomen as he gently stroked a few bangs away from her eyes. She was safe no doubt, but…still…he couldn't completely protect her. It was like a nail digging in his skin.

"You did what you could Nero," Vincent commented out loud since it was obvious he was bothered and she could tell what it was that dug at him mainly due to the fact that she too used to feel the same way.

Nero looked over at her without response and then at the floor as he let out a deepened sigh.

"You can't save everyone, even if it is just one person—"

"—she's not just one person," he interrupted her lightly.

"I know. That's why…it hurts."

The silver haired lad looked over at her again. The expressions that got tossed between the two was a strange exchange of mutual understanding.

"Kid…if it makes you feel any better kid, those energy suckers got the better of me too. It if weren't for Vincent crashing the party at the last second…well let's just say I probably would have been an overcooked shish kabob."

The admittance of falling prey to the demons caught Nero's attention. In the short time that he barely even knew the man and just from the few times they fought together, the lad couldn't help but to get the odd perception that Dante wasn't the kind to succumb to _anything._ But now this same man was willingly admitting that they got the better of him too. Dante was right…it _did_ help him feel better to know he wasn't the only one that needed help…that he wasn't the only one that ended up helpless.

"The enemy was as new to you as it was to me. So if there's anyone to thank here…it's Vincent."

The two then looked over at Vincent simultaneously, causing her to blush as she darted her eyes to the side, readjusting her position as she crossed her arms and sunk deeper into the couch.

"We all have our weaknesses, sometimes good sometimes bad depending how you look at it…" tossing her gaze at Nero lightly "…yours is Kryie and mine is…" then looking lightly at Dante as their gazes caught each other. The devil hunter's stare made her pause in mid sentence. She was about to say her father was her weakest point, but then she realized it was also _Dante._

A smile gently tugged at the corner of the devil hunter's mouth.

"Have you two known each other long?" Nero asked innocently.

Looking back at Nero again, "Uh…I think only but a matter of a few months?" She answered in question, looking at Dante for verification.

"Something like that," he answered, looking back over at the kid. "We met under…" tossing his gaze for a moment at Vincent "…interesting circumstances…" and then back at Nero again.

"Circumstances?" Nero questioned as his eyes darted back and forth from Vincent and Dante for answers. As much as Dante wanted to answer the question, he felt it was Vincent's story to tell. Vincent smiled lightly, recognizing the respect Dante was giving her.

"You want the short end version or the long end?" Vincent asked Nero.

"Uh…tell me whatever you feel like telling…" he answered politely "…not like I'm in a rush to go anywhere."

Minutes went by as Vincent broken down her story into simple explanation that basically was summarized by the simple fact that she had a family, half of it was slaughtered by demons, she didn't want her or those around her to be victims anymore so she sought to gain demonic powers of her own through a year of being a guinea pig for a demon scientist, etc…

…etc.

"And that's basically it. I'm…I'm so sorry you guys got involved. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

It was a bit silent before Nero retorted, "Nothing to apologize for. Besides even if you never went down that road, Arkainius might have come after us eventually anyway."

"Heh, heh, you know what? I think you're right. He probably would have. I don't regret my decisions though. If it weren't for those decisions I probably never would have met you guys."

The silver haired hunters then smirked, nodding their heads lightly in agreement.

"It's definitely been one hell of a party since you two came along, so no argument here," Dante added in meaningful sarcasm.

"What about you Dante? Vincent's side of things is pretty much self explanatory, but I don't know a thing about yours let alone the sword you gave me. You…what…said that it once belonged to your brother?"

_Silence_

A momentary pause as Dante kept quiet to himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it and shook his head a few times. He had no problem listening…more or less…but talking about his past just wasn't one of his suited past times especially if it was in the company of more than one person.

After seeing the subtle hint of discomfort on Dante's face that he rarely ever displayed, Vincent decided to chime in, "Maybe next time you come over when we're all rested up and lively Dante can—"

"—we're the Sons of Sparda…my brother and I," Dante suddenly interrupted, having Vincent and Nero's full blown attention even though Vincent has heard him tell the story before. It didn't matter. She could hear it a thousand times and still not be tired of it as long as she got to hear his voice.

"I'm sure your little holy order told you the basic gist of Sparda being around for 2,000 years until he fell in love with a human and had twin sons while protecting the human realm and so on and so forth?"

Nero nodded lightly as he replied, "Yeah. I know at least that much."

"Well…it wasn't long after his powers got trapped in the demon realm that he was killed. Soon after that the demons decided to hunt down myself, my brother Vergil, and our mother Eva…"

…an hour went by now as Dante explained the short end gist of his side of things, completely opening up Nero's eyes to realizing just how much he had in common with both Vincent and Dante, each of them losing all or most of their family to demon attacks and ultimately becoming the outcasts of society.

"That sword I gave you…Yamato…is the last remaining remnants of my brother, passed down from pops to him and now…I pass it onto you."

Nero looked over at the devil hunter, feeling a very odd yet familiar connection between the two of them. It was like something was on the tip of his tongue…memories faded away that he had yet to recover to connect the final pieces to the puzzle.

"Why?" He asked fervently.

Dante took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out before he answered, "Because you're half demon…like me. You carry…Sparda's blood."

A chill shot up the lad's spine as he sat frozen in place. To hear Dante explain these things to him, even if he ultimately didn't know who his birth parents were, it still felt like everything was starting to make more sense to him now, like something clicking just right in his heart and mind.

"The power you hold is great, that arm of yours being the proof of that. At times you feel helpless when trying to protect that girl. Well…the feeling is mutual…since neither my brother…_nor I_…could protect our mother. So it goes without saying that all of us here, including that girl, has felt helpless at one point…or another."

Tears lightly welled up in Vincent's eyes. She could feel the sadness seep from Dante's heart. It was extremely rare that he ever…_ever_ opened up like this, but because he did…she knew it was important especially for Nero. Whoever Nero truly was still remains a mystery, but if there was anyone that could help guide him…_it was Dante._ He started guiding Nero the second he gave Yamato to him and he will continue to guide him.

"Nngh…N-Nero…" a wispy voice spoke out as Nero suddenly felt a hand gently grasp upon his own. It was Kyrie as she finally had awoken.

"Kyrie…" he spoke her name softly as he leaned over and held her in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright…" she stated as they held each other briefly "…but…where are we?" She then looked over, a bit startled when she saw Dante suddenly with those icy blue piercing eyes. "Y-You—"

"—it's alright. Dante and Vincent got us out of the lab. We're at his shop now."

"I see…thank you…to the both of you."

"No problem," Dante and Vincent stated simultaneously.

"Are we far from Fortuna?" she asked further.

Nero looked over at Dante and Vincent for an answer since he wasn't too sure himself.

"It's…pretty far from here, but if you need to rest up you're free to stay."

"Actually…" Kyrie paused in interruption as she looked up at Nero "…we should probably be heading back. I'm sure Leo is quite worried. We could call and have him pick us up."

"That sounds like a good idea," Nero agreed.

"Who's Leo?" Vincent asked.

"He's a very close friend of Credo. They were like brothers, so he inadvertently became part of the family, and now more so than ever since Credo's passing."

"I'm sorry—"

"—it's okay. He reminds me a lot of my brother so even though Credo is gone, it's like he's alive in Leo."

Another moment of silence floated in the air as yet again Kyrie gave another example of the brutality of the world they lived in because of the demons, but it was okay because as long as they were around to make a difference, that's all that mattered.

"Do you have a phone I could used?" Kyrie asked Dante.

"Over on the desk. Help yourself."

"Thank you," she replied in manner as Nero helped her stand and then went over to the desk with her as she sat upon the edge while using the phone. It wasn't until Nero went over to the desk that he noticed a single picture frame sitting idly by itself on the corner. He picked it up to see a portrait of a woman in long blonde hair that caressed a beautiful red shawl that draped over a black dress. She was beautiful with eyes that looked back with a kindhearted gentleness. It was strange to look at the portrait as he held it gently in his devil bringer. However, upon staring at the portrait Nero could have sworn he saw a split second image of a woman in his mind…a woman he had never remembered seeing before. It was like a long hidden memory suddenly triggered open a fragment of the past.

"Nero," Kyrie interrupted him in thought.

"Huh?"

"Leo should be here within the hour."

"Oh…right."

"Is something wrong?"

He paused before answering as he looked back at the portrait, "No…nothing."

"Who's that? She's lovely," Kyrie commented as he too looked at the portrait.

"She's—"

"—AHCHOO!" Vincent suddenly sneezed. "Man…I need to dust this place again. You seriously need a maid Dante."

"Tch, that costs more than a month's worth of pizza, babe."

"Not like it would kill you to keep it tidied up a bit."

"Well that's why you're here right?"

"Oh _very funny._ Speaking of pizza let's order one. I'm starved."

"You read my mind."

"You guys want some pizza? I can order a large," Vincent asked Kyrie and Nero.

"That sounds like a good idea," they agreed.

Another hour passed by as the group enjoyed a pizza and exchanged stories on demon hunts that were rather humorous in nature. Dante jested about a demon that one time monologued more than Agnus did, while Vincent told a prose of a male demon that took female form and ended their dispute rather awkwardly. The stories gave good laughs, something they needed to help lighten these pressing times.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"That must be Leo," Nero stated as he got up to get the door and sure enough Leo was standing on the other side in full blown Holy Order getup. His hair was a lighter brown in comparison to Credo, and slicked back just like Credo's did, only it was nicely trimmed in the back and he was cleanly shaven upon the face. If it weren't for the eyes being of an emerald green, he could easily be mistaken for Credo.

"Nero…glad to see you're still alive and kicking."

"That goes without saying," Nero agreed in light sarcasm as Kyrie came to the door beside Nero.

"Ah, Kyrie. I'm glad you're alright."

She smiled warmly and answered, "I'm always alright with Nero around.

"Agreed. Well…shall we head back? It's nearly nightfall."

The two love birds looked at each other and then back at Leo as Nero answered, "Yeah."

"Heading out so soon? I was just about to pop out the beer…not that you're old enough to drink it," Dante jested at Nero as the lad replied back just as sarcastically, "Careful…the alcohol might add more white hairs to that head of yours old man."

"Hey, the color's natural."

"And sexy," Vincent added as she came up beside Dante and wrapped his arm in hers, catching his attention just for a moment as Dante smirked down at her.

"Well, despite the circumstances, this was…fun. I'll definitely have to come back into town again now that I know where you're at."

"Just don't forget the password," Dante quipped.

"You mean _strawberry sundae?_"

Dante opened his mouth to say something back, but nothing came out as he looked back down at Vincent, "You told him the password?"

Removing her arm from Dante and lifting it up simultaneously with the other in a shrug, "What? Not like he's gonna need to hire you. He can fight demons just fine on his own."

"Wait, that really is the password to the shop?" Nero wondered when he realized they were being serious and for the first time in a long time, Nero _laughed._ Kyrie smiled. It had been so long since he saw him give a full hearted laugh.

"Well, now I've heard everything."

The group chuckled again as a silence hit the air. It was time to part ways again.

"Well…we'll see you around kid. Take care of that arm of yours."

Nero's devil bringer glowed lightly in response as the lad looked down at his arm, taking in the mixed colors and textures. It was truly one of a kind.

"Probably the most unique…_devil arm_ you'll ever own."

Nero cocked an eyebrow at Dante as Vincent chuckled, "Seriously Dante? That was _horrible._"

"What? It was a perfect opportunity."

Shaking his head, Nero then placed his devil bringer hand upon Dante's shoulder as the two took on a more serious expression, "Thank you."

Dante went silent again before he replied, "Any time."

Nero smiled, knowing that was Dante's way of saying he could come to the devil hunter any time he needed true guidance. It was then the lad looked over at Vincent and stated, "Take care of the old man for me."

She chuckled again in response, "Easy as taking a pizza slice from a baby."

"Hey, don't steal my one liners."

"Too late."

The group bid their final goodbyes as Leo finally drove the two love birds back to Fortuna, leaving Dante alone with Vincent once again. It wasn't until Nero and Kyrie had left that the two truly felt the quiet emptiness of the shop, dank and dusty like usual and always in the calm of a storm. It was strange indeed interacting with Nero again, seeding a deeper connection that was slowly blooming upon each meeting it seemed, but the two could only wonder where it would go from here. What laid in wake for the last remaining son of Sparda, and who was Nero truly? How did he carry the same bloodline as Dante? Most of all, what roll did he have to play? Only time could tell.

Vincent looked up at Dante with her familiar grayish blue eyes.

Dante looked down at her with his icy blue gaze.

The devil hunter spent years having no problem of putting on a suave, strong and silent exterior to those around him and his enemies. It was only on obscure rare moments that he ever displayed even a hint of true emotion in regards to a circumstance of any kind. It was because of this that it made it ever more apparent to Vincent that talking about his past didn't take much to rip open old wounds, touching upon spots that will forever be sore. She could see it in his eyes and she could see it on his face. Lifting a hand, she gently caressed the side of his face, feeling the small prickling yet smooth textured sensation of his beard upon her skin.

"It's okay," she said in a near wispy tone, assuring, but understanding.

He still stayed silent, letting her gentleness wrap his heart with a warmth he rarely ever felt, especially from a woman. He hadn't felt this kind of warmth since his mother was still alive. It was a strange sensation. Then suddenly, without hesitation Dante literally swept her off her feet and into his arms. She gasped nervously as she quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her head resting upon them as her hands grasped upon the fabric of his jacket. Being held in the arms of a 6 foot 1 inch man puts you at a much higher height in the air compared to if you were just standing, so it made her ever so slightly nervous, but at the same time she found it ever so comforting like his strength and protection just radiated off his body.

"Dante," she quietly whispered his name.

He could feel her bodily trembles that were both of nervousness and anxiousness. Over the span of the few months they knew each other, this was the first time she was going to sleep by his side. At first it was just simple kisses here and there, caring hugs and gentle touches upon the face or shoulder when either one would walk by each other or in simple interaction, but now they both felt like it was being pulled into something much more. Words did not need to be said, explanations did not need to be given. There was simply _pure impulse_ and _raw emotion._ With heavy slow strides of his boots, Dante took his time going up the stairs. A billion things were going through Vincent's head, wondering what Dante's expectations were, but she never felt a pressure from him for _anything_ and that in and of itself built her trust him in. The devil hunter was surprisingly a patient man despite how fast and strong he was in combat let alone the casual yet intimidating disposition he displays before his enemies. So tonight, nothing needed to be rushed, expected, or laid out on the table.

"This is going to seem like out of the blue, but I was waiting for Nero and Kyrie to leave to ask you this question."

Bringing her head up from his shoulder Vincent looked up at Dante, wondering what he could possibly be asking.

"How much do you know about your family…or the things…Arkainius was doing to you to give you demonic powers?"

The question indeed took her by surprise as she couldn't help but wonder what Dante was getting at.

"I don't…understand. Did Arkainius say something to you?"

"Well…he said…"

_"…she will never know what she truly is and that…will be her undoing."_

The words were a bit haunting, but surprisingly confirmed something Vincent had been thinking about for quite some time. The question sat on her mind for a moment as Dante made it to the upstairs bedroom, bending over as he sat Vincent upon the edge of the bedding, sitting next to her as she finally answered him.

"It's kind of funny you ask that because…for a while now I've been wondering about that myself. I don't know what you mean about my family, but Arkainius said that he captured several demons to manipulate and combine into my essence to create or at least manifest the powers I now have. Thing is though...the unique abilities I have don't feel like a combination. They feel like they come from only _one source_. What I feel…is so _alive_ inside me. It could be that whatever Arkainius was telling me was just some giant lie to cover up something much deeper behind the scenes. If they originally had plans to set me up to…" the thought choking her at the thought of Dante dieing "…to kill you…then I don't think the powers I have were planned to be from so many random demons. It would have to be from a source that is powerful enough to go up against you. Does that…" looking over at him "…does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does."

"Something's not quite right and I have no idea what it is. Something feels…_unresolved_ and I don't think it has anything to do with you _or_ Nero…or even Sparda himself. I don't know how else to explain it."

"I see. Well…all good things come to those who wait…right?" He rhetorically stated as he got up from the bed and began to undress himself. There was pretty much nothing further to discuss about it at this time since neither Dante nor Vincent knew what Arkainius meant by his haunting words, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the now. Getting up from the bed Vincent went into the walk in closet that was partially filled with her own clothing that she had left from the various visits to the shop before. She was over so often that Dante figured he might as well make a little room for her. The closet itself was dusky, only illuminated by a light bulb that hung from a circuit cord that connected to the ceiling above it. It was old fashioned kind of like a closest you would find in a mobster film. Various shirts and pants hung surprisingly neat and tidy from hangers including an old leather jacket that Dante used to wear when he was in his teens, the arm of the coat sleeve still missing and torn off near the elbow. It was strange to look at.

Finally finished with getting down into a just an oversized pajama top that belonged to Dante, she came out from the closest to find he was waiting for her in bed. He laid under the sheets and blanket, completely shirtless to reveal his riveting textured six pack and muscles. His skin had a beautiful glow under the moonlight along with his silvery white hair that shined in from the bedroom window that looked out over the city, the city itself twinkling with lights that were on from all the night owls. As beautiful as the scene was that was laid out before her, nothing could distract or stop Vincent from blushing ferociously as she wrapped herself with her arms and tossed her gaze to the side.

"God…I uh…heh," she stammered and chuckled nervously.

"Vincent…" he stated her name, immediately catching her attention "…it's okay. I don't bite…unless you want me to."

She then laughed in a nervous audible gesture, the one liner helping her to relax a bit as she finally nerved herself into getting in bed. She first sat upon the edge of the mattress, the springs creaking lightly as she continued to gaze at him. Then, lifting her feet up she slid them under the sheets and blanket that was almost cold to the touch, but slowly adhered to the natural warmth of her body as Dante's natural scent got wafted into her nostrils. He was leaning on his left forearm with his right arm resting along his hip, as he ever so patiently waited for her to do whatever she felt was natural. Then upon inching closer, Vincent nuzzled into Dante's chest as he put an arm around her. And then…slowly lifting up her head…

…she kissed him.

He let out a pleasured murmur as their lips pressed against each other, hers ever so soft and almost sweet tasting, his ever so inviting. Opening their mouths, their tongues mingled delightfully as she too murmured between hot breaths. Allowing each other a moment to breathe they gazed into each other's soul.

She smiled.

He smiled back.

Then with gentle movement, Vincent got up on her side as she then slowly flipped Dante on his back so that she could straddle his waist with her thighs, sitting atop of him, a shiver going up his spine as he placed his hands upon her thighs. Her skin was so smooth, his hands so strong and warm. At first Vincent didn't do anything, taking in the sensation she was feeling and the heart beating in her chest. Then with tender hands she began to feel around Dante's chest as he let out a small exhale. Moving her hands down further she began to feel the chiseled structure of Dante's abdomen, feeling the bumps and finely toned curves. His skin was surprisingly smooth, almost like hers. The moonlight reflected nicely off him and nearly caused his eyes to glow in the darkness of the room. It sent a shudder beneath her as she swallowed anxiously.

"I've never done this before," she stated softly.

"Neither have I," Dante admitted openly. His luck never was that good with the ladies. That's why he didn't care to rush anything. He truly wanted to take his time just as much as Vincent. They wanted to eat up every moment and savor it like it was going to be their last moments together. It was a strange feeling between the two.

"Dante…"

"…yeah?"

"I-I…" she stammered, but then she smiled and lowered her head a little for a moment before she tucked part of her hair behind her ear as she leaned in and kissed Dante deeply. Upon parting lips again she then scooted a bit back as she then laid on top of him, her ear planted against his chest as she heard his heart beat. Dante began to stroke his fingers through her hair with one hand while the other cupped over the tip of her shoulder. He hadn't felt a peace like this since he could even remember as they silently laid there, their warmth mingling…

…in the pale moonlight.


End file.
